The Key
by half of NF
Summary: The Akatsuki wages an attack on the Hyuuga household that leads to unforeseen consequences, the meeting of two shinobi in the fight's aftermath. Snippets of cause and effect. Zetsu hands Hanabi the key to her future. ZetsuxHana...seriously.


The world was coming to an end.

Or, at least, that's how it appeared.

Rampant fires ran the length of the Hyuuga compound, licking at the remains of enemy shinobi and broken buildings like a dog tonguing a wound. The ground was scored by chakra, burnt black by the flames. And, while an occasional fire could often insure the fertility of the land, the infusion of hostile chakra spelled its eventual death.

Worse for earth than the sowing of salt, spent energy sent smoke rising above the sector, whispering its warnings of wounds that would take more than mere decades to heal. And, vile whiffs of sulfur, sweat, and meat drifted across the scene, where cartfuls of bloodied men and women lay dead: strewn over the makeshift battlefield, piled upon on another in a circular attack pattern, or tossed carelessly upon the manicured grounds.

In this sector of the compound, fighting had ended only moments ago. The remnants of battle could still be heard in the dull clash of kunai and sensed in the whirl of chakra that came pouring from the east, where a clump of branch houses used to be situated. And, bent over, panting with exertion in the abandoned courtyard, one young Hyuuga woman bore witness to the newfound quiet.

Sweat stuck Hanabi's dark bangs to her bare forehead, and she tried to brush them away with the back of her palm, mussing them further. The heavy scent of metal soaked her black clothing, while the girl's activated Byakugan pulsed behind the veins of her temples.

She had just completed her first kaiten. And, it had killed ten of the men who fought for the Akatsuki. Or, more correctly, the men who were forced into battle by the Akatsuki.

_Ten men._

Ten men were nothing.

Hanabi had spent the better part of the morning performing fist strike after gentle fist strike, shoving her open palm into male and female enemy chests, releasing the burst of chakra that would stop their hearts. Despite her first kill having occurred mere hours ago, the young Hyuuga had already become sickeningly accustomed to the sensation of ending a life. And yet, the kaiten's added distance from the enemy had felt like a cool breeze on the hot weight of a shock that threatened to envelop her, even now.

Casually smothering a fallen spark alighting in her hair, Hanabi's pale eyes surveyed the remains of what had once been the Main House. Seeing the burned and scored skeletons of building after building, the girl felt a curious combination of anguish and relief.

Her father, the strongest man she'd ever known, had fallen in the first attack. He'd been sapped of his chakra by the large, blue-skinned Hoshigaki Kisame and his Samehada. The great traitor, Uchiha Itachi, had finished the job.

But, in the end, Hiashi had somehow managed to buy his family time. Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi had been able to organize and fight against the Akatsuki's troops for the past fourteen hours because of his sacrifice.

So, Hanabi was relieved that her father would not be here to see what their people had fallen to, even while mourning the loss of Hiashi, the harsh sensei; Hiashi, the devoted mentor; Hiashi, the kind superior.

But, not Hiashi, the father.

_No, _she smiled to herself softly, looking grotesque as blood dripped to coat more than half her face, _Never father_. A twinge in her side caused the smile to turn into a grimace of pain and unease. Shaking her head to rid herself of nostalgia, Hanabi closed her eyes and concentrated her attention to the east.

Sending her sight out over the land, the young Hyuuga could just make out her sister. Hinata, the new leader of the Hyuuga, stood behind an immense wall of chakra, shielding those in the clan who were unable to join in the fight. Neji, their cousin, fought in front of her, holding back the stronger Akatsuki troops while the weak and elderly were hurried to sanctuary. A forgotten weight lifted from Hanabi's shoulders at the reassurance of her family's safety, and the eighteen year old girl collapsed backwards in fatigue, releasing her Byakugan.

Breath slowly pushed itself in and out of her chest, and Hanabi began to take stock of her injuries.

_One inch deep kunai cut on left thigh, three inches in length._

_Upper right forearm, elbow, and bicep suffering from second degree burns._

_Bottom right rib broken._

_Mild concussion._

_And, I barely have any chakra left, _Hanabi thought, wanting to curl up into a ball (in spite of the pain it would cause) and go to sleep. But, she was still a Hyuuga, and, as always, there were responsibilities. Hanabi was the tool of her clan, and she must allow herself to be used, no matter dull her edge became.

_That's all I have, _she thought resignedly, her heart's familiar ache mirroring the pain in her muscles.

Pushing herself up on her elbows and pressing rough palms into the ash-warmed earth, Hanabi rose to her feet, wiped her hands on the seat of her pants, and limped over to a nearby enemy corpse. Sticking out of his back was a battered _shaito_. The katana was emblazoned in the Hyuuga sigil and over two feet in length. Pressing her foot against the dead man's back (_not my kill_), Hanabi eased the sword out, cleaning it against the corpse's dark robes.

The weapon's weight felt heavy and awkward in her hands. Hanabi was not used to bearing anything but her bare fists, molding chakra into her blade. But, the young Hyuuga's reserves had been tapped more than five hours ago. So, a katana it had to be.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, the slim girl picked her way through the battlegrounds. Every few moments, she would stop at a pile of bodies. And there, Hanabi would methodically pierce each individual through the heart. Even when she recognized a familiar face or a Hyuuga uniform, the girl continued with the wretched duty, hating the fact that she didn't have the chakra for Byakugan and that a simple henge could hide her enemies.

Soon, the muscles in her arms went from sore to feeling both torn and broken. And, by the time, Hanabi reached the smoking remains of what had once been her sister's herb garden, she could no longer lift the katana above her waist. Locking her elbows, the slim girl began to hit each corpse in a running manner, letting her momentum propel the blade through the body. She continued in this way for some time, occasionally stopping to disfigure known Byakugan-users, keeping her clan secrets safe.

But, just as Hanabi was removing the truth from a second cousin's eyes, her exhausted senses perked. Quickly and easily, she slid into a defensive stance , pointing her katana towards the disturbance, a still burning carcass to the north. Will alone kept her arms from trembling with fatigue.

"What are you doing here?" Hanabi commanded, her voice empty as she stared at the man in the cloud-covered cloak, attempting to take stock of her newest opponent.

Gold eyes flashed into hers, shining like honeyed amber in the moonlight. The man's skin seemed split by color down the middle, pure white and pure black pressing against one another on his face and bare chest. Hair of a light moss green curled onto his forehead like ivy, while a plantlike mouth opened around his upper body. Even in the poor lighting and without the aid of her Byakugan, Hanabi could make out the mouth's velvety hard texture like the skin of a ripe peach. Not the rigid slickness of a garden plant, as one might expect.

His body showed a number of deep cuts and abrasions. His cloak was singed. And, Hanabi could tell that the man before her was nearly as low on chakra as she was. So, the slim girl wasn't overly surprised by the lack of antagonism in his voice as he lightly answered her question, "The same thing as you, I suspect."

Then, the man, who could be none other than Zetsu, infamous spy of the Akatsuki, ripped the forearm off the charred corpse that had previously shielded him from view, delicately removed a ring from its middle finger, and bit down into the black and bloody stump.

Hanabi supposed that this was meant to be intimidating, a gesture of perversion that should have her quaking in fear and disgust. But, she was a Hyuuga who had been able to activate her Byakugan at the age of seven. Hanabi had seen far worse than the show that this man was attempting to put on. And, the girl had to admit as she looked back down into her dead cousin's eyeless face that if her stomach could've handled the macabre meal, Hanabi would've been ready to consume her clan's secrets to keep them safe, as well.

With a nod towards her neutralized adversary, the girl returned to her duty. It was obvious that neither of them had the strength to kill one another, and so there was no need to waste energy on futile battle. However, Hanabi was not counting on the reaction her nonchalant acceptance would provoke.

As she steadied herself to sort through the next pile of shinobi, the young Hyuuga heard the Akatsuki member mumble darkly through the smack of chewed flesh, "It appears that she is smarter than she looks, at the very least. And here I thought the Hyuugas to be brawn without much brain. Like this one's father."

Hanabi stopped at the words, less startled by the implied insult and more by the absence of anger it aroused. Hiashi was dead, and no amount of righteous affront was going to bring him back, even if she'd had the energy to fuel the emotion.

At her lack of response, Hanabi noticed the white half of the man staring at her with a chuckle on his lips, while the black seemed more focused on the meal before him, "This one fights better than her father, as well, or will one day. More fire, less pride."

Without turning around, the young Hyuuga stated bitterly, "My_ name_ is Hanabi."

This time, it was the dark side's turn to smirk, "I know. Just as you know that I am Zetsu."

The girl grunted and returned to scraping her _shaito _out of a thirteen year old's thin chest, trying not to allow her mouth to turn up at the strange man's deep voice and the odd way in which he was antagonizing her, "Yes, I know you. The Akatsuki's mole, the underground watchdog that eats away at our village, stealing our secrets and your organization's dead. The man who tries to be more frightening than he is, thinking to intimidate weak-willed kunoichi into submission with his appetite and appearance."

Hanabi's bangs fell across her forehead once again as she peered over at Zetsu, "If you are upset by my lack of fear, know that I am tired and have seen and heard far more frightening things than you."

_(the curse seal, the burning)_

Unbidden fears ghosted around the corners of her mind, as she spoke those last words. Things she'd forgotten in the heat of battle, things that Hiashi was no longer there to protect her from. Hinata was stronger now, as was Neji. But, the clan's elders were stronger. Hanabi's lips tightened slightly, and she returned to the only thing that still made sense: the dull resistance of the blade entering decaying flesh.

Having finished disposing of one of the newer Akatsuki members, more tool than peer, Zetsu made his way to the next corpse, made his way closer to Hanabi. The young girl thought she should feel goosebumps tingle and the hair on her arms raise at the nearness of an enemy, but, perhaps exhaustion kept the adrenaline rush from taking over, _Too bad, I could have used one about now. _

Those gold eyes were still staring at her, examining her, provoking her, "Yes, she is very good. Isn't she?"

Hanabi couldn't tell which personality had made the comment, and she also couldn't contain the sardonic response it evoked. "Good enough to eat, I suppose, " she muttered, a small, uncontrollable smile working its way back onto her lips. But, Zetsu's response quickly stole that from her.

"No. Too scrawny, not enough meat on the bones. Not like her father," the dark half stated, baldly.

Fingers grown too stiff to fully grasp the _shaito_ fumbled at this comment, letting the katana fall to the ground. Using her uninjured left forearm to wipe the blood and sweat from her eyes, Hanabi sat down on a lone tuft of grass and responded distractedly, "That one might have worked. Only, we made sure to get rid of my father's body as soon as possible. A shinobi's secrets are really all that he has in the end, as you well know, I suppose."

Stretching out her back and massaging overused muscles, Hanabi continued, " Not that there was much left after he shielded us from your people's first onslaught. But, a katontook care of the rest. So, unless you have taken up the licking of ashes, I doubt you have any idea how tasty my father is..._was_."

"And yet, you feel nothing," a mildly amused, white Zetsu countered, "I am surprised. I had thought you Hyuugas' put all of your will into the clan and-,"

"Are you _even_ human?" Hanabi interrupted the man's attempt to rattle her, annoyance and curiosity fueling the outburst.

Staring darkly over at the slim kunoichi, the spy surprisingly chose to answer the rude question. The girl's ease in his presence somehow making up for her lack of respect, "Once. I think. Long enough ago that I have no memory of it. When I was a child, perhaps. Why do-?"

"What changed you?" Hanabi was surprised to find herself asking.

Zetsu sighed, a different kind of fatigue entering his features, "…Men."

Silence hung heavy between the two shinobi, and it took Hanabi a moment to remember that she was facing an enemy. When, suddenly, Zetsu asked coldly, "And what about you? Are you human?"

The young girl, who had arisen with katana in hand and was preparing to move along with her work, stopped and stared down at her blood-covered arms and mid-section. Shuffling through her memories, Hanabi tried to come up with one that was not connected to this destruction, this death-dealing, whether it be an actual battle or merely preparation for one.

There was nothing.

_There were ten men._

Ten men were nothing.

"No," the young girl stared into a dead man's eyes, "and I'm not sure that I ever was."

Shrugging her shoulders, Hanabi muttered, "But, like you said_, maybe_...when I was younger…before I can remember."

"What changed you?"

Paused in thought, it took the young girl a moment or two to answer, "Men, as well, I suppose."

Zetsu was only five feet away from the slim kunoichi. If she had reached out the katana, Hanabi could just scratch the surface of his dark green shield. But, she didn't.

Instead, she merely asked, "Why did you answer?"

"Why did you?"

"I lost nothing by giving you the information, just as you received nothing by listening to it. And, well, perhaps, the blood loss is causing me to act irrationally," reasoned Hanabi, despite the fact that she was lying. Truth be told, the girl didn't know the answer to Zetsu's mimicked question and didn't particularly want to. Thankfully, the young Hyuuga was distracted from her inner emptiness by a hush that had just fallen over the distant battlefield.

Tossing her katana to the ground and using up the little energy her stretch had given her, Hanabi performed the seals for Byakugan. Her sight sped over the steaming ground, coming to an abrupt stop at a large dark hole: what was left of the branch houses. Her heart beat faster, pounding painfully against her ribs, as she searched for her clan, her family.

A few seconds later, Hanabi found them.

Hinata was bent over, surrounded by dead shinobi, blood pouring over her deceptively fragile frame. Neji lay next to her, obviously badly wounded. The rest of the clan had escaped to the passageways that led to a safehold in the center of the village. But, they were alive. They were all alive.

And, they had won.

Breathing heavily with the effort, Hanabi released the Byakugan. A chakra-induced pressure headache that had loomed over her for most of the night began to worm its way behind her temples. Yet, the young girl was still able to turn with a satisfied grin and whisper, "It appears as though your people have lost the battle. "

Only to find Zetsu less than a foot away from her.

Without the masking weight of the battle's chakra pouring over her body, Hanabi quickly realized her greatest mistake: assuming that the man would gain nothing but physical nourishment from the bodies he consumed. However, his rapidly healing wounds, the new store of chakra coursing through his system, and the quiet gleam in his amber eyes begged to differ.

_He consumes their spiritual energy and absorbs it into his own_, Hanabi thought calmly. And, she began to wonder why her reflexes had not kicked in yet. When the battle had suddenly ended, adrenaline filled her veins, helping her to use some of the little energy she had left for Byakugan. But, now, when she truly needed it, all Hanabi felt was empty like an old, dull tool, soon to be re-sharpened and branded for use by the Hyuuga clan.

Until, of course, Zetsu spoke.

"Ahhh yes, it appears that your clan has held off our troops, but if you believe that the battle was as simple as that, then I'm afraid that you are mistaken. Our objective was accomplished before this fight had passed an hour in length." His deep, disturbing voice ran chills down her spine, a mix of light and darkness, a smile while he ate your still moving body. And, for the first time, Hanabi understood how dangerous the Akatsuki could be.

"The death of my father? That's what this is about," she mumbled.

"Ha, no. While your father was a great asset to Konoha, he was just one man. _As you well know_," both sides of Zetsu peered into Hanabi's pale eyes, as he imitated her way of speaking, "his death doesn't mean a thing."

Slowly, the man reached across the young woman in front of him to pick up her fallen katana. Setting her shoulders back, Hanabi tried not to flinch as she glared up at him, unable to muster even the energy to run, to escape. And, she sustained this look while Zetsu's black arm brushed against her stomach, as he picked up a battered, discarded sheath.

Gazing at the strong, young woman before him, the man spoke softly as he began to place the sheath's strap over Hanabi's head, "This was merely an exercise. A way to decrease the village morale. Unfortunately, your clan was the strongest, and so had to be made into an example."

Pale violet eyes stared widely into Zetsu's, Hanabi's nostrils flared slightly in shock and confusion, "Why are you…"

"I have been watching you. During this battle and others...," he paused, appraisal in his stare.

"And, I haven't had a new partner in quite some time, "the light half spoke kindly, while the darkness muttered, "Not one that lasted more than a few days, at least. But, you...you show much potential."

Hanabi's mouth set firmly, as she quickly responded, "_I am a Hyuuga_. How I feel about my father's death, the tasks my clan sets me, the duties I must endure…they make little difference against this single fact. If you think that our few similarities mean that I will turn my back on them, allow myself to be used by their enemies, then _you _are not _even_ as smart as you might appear. Kill me and have done with it or leave. My cousin should be here soon, and he is much less forgiving than I." Although, the man's nearness was making her feel light-headed, the young girl was proud that she had been able to state her thoughts firmly, clearly.

Placing one hand in each of his robe pockets, Zetsu studied her face, searching for dishonesty. But, Hanabi had meant every word. The curse seal, the death, the breaking of innocence, all of those things were necessary sacrifices for the clan; she'd been taught that long before she'd ever learned her first gentle fist stance. She may hate what had been done to her, the childhood that had been stolen, but she would die before she betrayed her people.

With an air of infuriating amusement and calm, Zetsu absorbed the information, much as he had taken energy from the surrounding Akatsuki corpses. Then, nodding his head rather solemnly, he leaned close enough that Hanabi could smell the fresh scent of his skin, caught beneath the acrid air of blood and burning flesh. Slipping his hand into hers, Zetsu whispered into Hanabi's ear, "My business is not death. It's deception, spying, information and power gathering. I do not think I will ever visit your village but once more. So, know this, our purpose is not to ruin you…it's to_ possess _you."

He withdrew his soft hand from hers, leaving behind a thick metal weight and a warm shiver curling around Hanabi's spine. Bringing himself up to full standing position, Zetsu, calmly revealed, "One month. I will be back for your real answer in one month."

And, as his feet began to sink into the earth courtesy of an intricate doton jutsu, Zetsu looked into the young Hyuuga woman, once again, and smiled, "You really are a beautiful fighter. It would be a shame to see your talents waste away under that seal. It would be a shame to see _you_ waste away, Hanabi."

Five minutes later, the young Hyuuga was still trying to catch her breath, unable to figure out whether it was the dark or light side that had spoken those last few words, fingering the singed Akatsuki ring she now held in her callused palm.

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"_One month. I will be back for your real answer in one month," _the words echoed throughout Hanabi's mind, followed by her own silent chuckle at the familiar memory, _And, as usual, he was true to his word. Always was, the idiot. _

Comfortably, the woman twirled a kunai between her fingers, letting its sharp edge dance in the setting sun. Stopping it with a quick grasp, Hanabi couldn't help the grin that covered her features as she faced her students. With a single, efficient gesture, she whipped the weapon out, followed by four others, aiming for her small targets while flashes of old thoughts washed over her.

_It took that entire month to rebuild the compound. A week for just the Main House, itself, _she smiled at the two panting children, as the pair recovered from successfully evading her attack.

_The world may not have come to the end, but it _certainly_ changed. I remember how upset the elders were when they discovered how few good materials were left, _Hanabi's smile widened, as she remembered a particularly pompous individual ranting on about the prestige of Hyuuga and the inferiority of ash trees as opposed to pine.

Watching her children try to catch a gasp of breath, the pale woman quickly performed the seals for a familiar doton jutsu, causing the ground beneath them to shake. Unfortunately, when they tried to leap to more solid footing, the explosive notes that Hanabi had hidden the morning before made rest even more difficult to find.

She was a hard teacher, but neither her son nor her daughter would grow up unprepared, if she could help it. After their training was completed, no situation should present them with any undue trouble. _Not like me, _an edge of bitterness crept into Hanabi's thoughts, _but it wasn't Hinata's fault._

The justification rang hollow despite its truth, _If she hadn't healed Neji and nearly used up the remains of her chakra, then he would have died. It's not her fault that the healing left her unconscious for two months. It's not her fault that the death of our clan's oh so important, traditional way of life had been so easy to bring about. It's not her fault that Neji was just a branch member, unable to stop the damned elders and their twice-damned ceremonies._

Hanabi never let anger get the better of her. However, the next few slams of chakra that she gentle-fisted towards her daughter might have been slightly harder than was necessary. Suppressed fury causing her limbs to shake slightly.

_But, my forehead is__bare, _her teeth gritted, as Hanabi twisted on the ball of her right foot, countering her son's right-left thrust towards her middle. Swiftly, she turned the movement into a savage kick, whose motion she continued full circle. This brought her body into a cartwheel-like contortion that deftly blocked her daughter's sneaking left hand. The woman smiled at her children's skill and at her own, _A month was just not enough time to organize a sealing ceremony. Not with everything else going on. Despite how anxious the elders were to prove their allegiance to the older child, the new leader of Hyuuga House, Hiashi's will nowhere to be found. _

Breaking out of the boxed formation that her son and daughter had built around her, Hanabi crossed her arms patiently, studying their tired forms, _Not that it would have made much difference. She'd grown enough. I was never meant to lead._

Tossing a few obligatory kunai at her students, the woman detected how close her son came to being hit. Her daughter's flagging form was only seconds faster. And, it was obvious that theshe had nearly exhausted them. Especially, when the girl rose, examining her brother, and struggling to catch her breath enough to speak, to buy some time.

"_Huff...huff..._Mom?"

"Yes, darling," called an amused Hanabi, light years from being ready to end this lesson, but willing to indulge a rest. Nostalgia nipped at her heels, once again, as she looked into her dark-haired daughter's gold eyes, turned molten by the dying sun.

Placing her hands on her hips, the girl willed her breathing to slow as she asked, "You seem distracted today. _Huff. _That's the first time you nearly got a hit. _Huff. __Normally_, you'd have us in traction, by now."

Her twin brother rose, his appearance a masculine mirror of his sister, "Is it dad? _Huff huff. _You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"

_My children know me well, _mused Hanabi before answering, "Sort of. I was thinking about the day that we met. I think, that your aunt's last visit has made me a bit more soft-hearted than usual," her grin turned slightly evil around the edges, " But, don't worry. Tomorrow, I will make sure to work you-"

"The day dad stole you away?" Hanabi's son interrupted her, real interest coloring his pale features. Their father had died before the twins' had celebrated their first birthday; And, so, every scrap of information they could collect on him was of vast importance to the pair. Yet, this question disturbed Hanabi with its phrasing.

"'Stole me away'? _You_ have been spending too much time with your uncle Neji, if I am hearing those words come out of your mouth, Hanabi lightly scolded. _I should have realized that their visits to the village would have an effect sooner or later. _

Looking at her son, Hanabi saw the terse expectation of a better answer lining his soft face. It looked exactly like the expression she'd seen on Neji's countless times before, _If I'd known that he would rub off on them so quickly..._

Her features turned up in sarcastic good humor, _Maybe I should've stayed a missing-nin, after all._

Of course, she was kidding herself. Hanabi knew that the day Uzumaki Naruto had become Hokagewould always be one of the happiest days of her life: the curse seal abolished, her status changed to one of mere exile, the kids granted full Konoha citizenship.

The twins might never be fully accepted, but, at least, they had family now. People to care for them. People to protect them.

_The Akatsuki._

The organization still existed. And, as far as Hanabi knew, nothing had really changed in its makeup during the past seventeen years, three of which she'd been a member_. Well, a few things are different, I suppose, _the woman mused, suddenly, dashing in between her children and performing a half-powered kaiten that sent them both scampering for the edges of the training field.

Turning around to gaze at the only thing that still mattered, Hanabi saw her son had collapsed backwards onto the ground in exhaustion, while her daughter had her hands on scraped knees, red-faced and short of breath. With a sigh, Hanabi whipped out one of her favorite summon scrolls and began to perform the appropriate seals. Her daughter saw this and committed herself to a single, visceral reaction: she threw herself on top of her brother, shielding him from whatever their mother tossed out next.

Smirking, Hanabi placed her palm into the middle of the rice paper, swiping her bloody thumb across it. Then, she rolled it up and calmly padded over to the twins, as lush grass and wild flowers began to spring up in front of her. When the woman caught a glimpse of the surprise on her children's faces, she could not help the chuckle that escaped her lips.

Falling graceully into a cross-legged sitting position, Hanabi waited for her children to rearrange themselves. And, despite their fatigue, it took less than a minute before their seating mirrored her own, open hunger on their faces.

_Perhaps, I have hid too much from them, _thought Hanabi as she looked at the hole their father's death had left behind, a hole she'd never bothered trying to fill with information or explanation. But, images of Zetsu's bloody corpse left on their doorstep, the price that he'd paid for her departure from the organization, crept through her mind, and Hanabi knew that waiting had been for the best.

Looking back and forth between her children's faces, Hanabi smiled gently and gestured with one hand at the field around them, "_This_ was the first summoning jutsu that your father ever taught me. Tactically, causing a field to spring up between you and an opponent, especially if they are more acquainted with the normal terrain than you are, is genius. Not to mention the fact that all of the beautiful wildflowers you see around you have roots that are more poisonous than a gallon of snake venom."

Hanabi's gold-eyed son looked anxiously for his sister'sreaction, trying to figure out how to feel about the information, while their mother finished her thought, "It was the second gift that he ever gave me."

Then, Hanabi stopped, waiting for them to ask the question, she had led them to. The twins' did not disappoint her. And, nearly in unison, they inquired eagerly, "What was the first?"

Hanabi looked down at her delicate yet battle-scarred hands, a thin pale strip along her left ring finger indicating that a thick band once covered it. Pulling her eyes away from memory, the woman looked at her children, letting her voice go into the singsong rhythm of storytelling, a melody she'd heard sung by Hyuuga-owned performers and traveling buskers alike, "Your uncle Neji told you that your father stole me away. But, that isn't true. Zetsu was a great man, torn between light and darkness, blamed for things he could not control and able to see into the wishes of those he cared about. And, above all, he was an honorable man, your father. He may have won through deception, at times, but he never stole."

Hanabi's daughter fidgeted, excited by this information about her father but anxious for her mother's answer. So, Hanabi continued, brushing callused fingers across her children's soft, bare foreheads, as she had done so many times before, "You were able to grow up without certain pressures, certain fears that plagued all but a select few within Hyuuga House. You are able to choose what you want in life."

Her eyelashes fluttered softly, and Hanabi's throat thickened as she admitted, "I was not so lucky."

Coughing lightly and clearing her throat, she tried to look into the pair's gold eyes, the eyes that seemed to mirror their father's but still held true to the Hyuuga bloodline and ability. They peered into her, desperate for knowledge, and she forced herself to keep talking, "I loved...love my clan, our family. And, I never have and never will do anything to harm them, but they had me in a cage."

Minutes passed while Hanabi tried to regain her composure. All thoughts about the day's training session drained away by memories and questions and heartache. Brushing her bangs aside in an unknowing mimicry of the night she'd first met Zetsu, a familiar gesture to clean the blood from her eyes, Hanabi finally looked up, smiled widely and answered, "Your father didn't steal me away from that cage. He just handed me the key."

The twins looked at her with wide eyes and Hanabi could just make out the wetness trailing down her son's cheeks, "I let _myself _out."

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_The only sound on the deserted Hyuuga footpath was the overwhelming chirp of summer locusts and the faint footsteps of one, Hyuuga Hanabi, clothed in the masking dark greys and browns of twilight. A small knapsack was slung over her left shoulder, while a battered katana hung off of her right. Pale fists were clenched tight enough to leave behind moon-shaped indents and the cool metal of the Akatsuki ring carved its way into her palm. _

_The last foundation for the last branch house had been laid over four days ago. The main gardens had been resown, and a specialized healer was tending to the wounds left on the land by chakra and blade. Hinata's condition was stable, and the sealing ceremony was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Everything was taken care of. All done in less than a month. _

_She should've been comforted by this information. But, moonlight caught the nervousness in Hanabi's pale eyes and the slight nibble of her lower lip. And, as her feet echoed out into the night, the young woman tried not to wonder whether or not she was making a mistake. _

_During the past month, she had been determined to help her clan regroup after the Akatsuki's attack, and_ then _she would show them the ring that Zetsu had given her. It made little sense to show them sooner, for they had neither the time nor the resources to study it.__And, it had just seemed like a better idea to hide the ring on her person, keeping it near her at all times, making certain that she didn't cause any undue trouble._

_Letting her dark hair fall forward, Hanabi's face heated, as she remembered the lies she'd told herself. The reality was that her knapsack had been packed less than a week after the attack. And, her decision made that very night, thirty days ago. _

_So, now, she was wandering aimlessly down the old, abandoned Hyuuga foot trail used by earlier generations as a quick exit out of the village; she had left her people, and had absolutely no idea how to find the man who'd given her the ring. _

_But, as luck would have it, he found her._

"_You came," called white Zetsu softly, appearing silently out of the path's shadows, "I knew you would," finished the black. The man stared at Hanabi, and she felt that strange sensation of understanding. After all of those years growing up in Hyuuga House, where one's secrets were only as good as the mouths they were shut behind, the young woman could not help finding it curious that the first thing that ever seemed to truly see her were those beautiful, inhuman eyes. _

_Hanabi knew she was gaining more than her freedom from this arrangement. And, a small spark of hope in her chest whispered that perhaps, she was also gaining a friend, a partner. However, ground rules had to be set before she would go any farther. _

"_I suppose you did," Hanabi tried not to shift her weight, tried not to let her anxiety show, "But, there are a few things you should know before I leave with you tonight, before I put this on," the young woman held up the ring that Zetsu had given her; it's dark surface gleamed in the night._

"_I thought there might be."_

_Nodding her head, Hanabi laid down her ultimatum, "I will join the Akatsuki. I will be your partner. But, I refuse to take part in any mission that could hurt my people. I will not work against them, nor will I pass you information concerning them or the village, itself. And, I won't go into battle against Leaf shinobi. If this means, that I can't take part, then you can take this ring back. And, I can leave tonight on my ow-"_

"_Agreed," Zetsu interrupted her, his entire face pulled back in a twisted smile, "It is agreed. Your conditions were accepted by our Leader, when I presented them three weeks ago. The only difference is that I added in an extra concession from your list," murmured Zetsu, conspiratorially._

_Hanabi wanted to ask how he'd known her demands ahead of time, but then she recalled their last conversation and the time he must have spent watching her. So, she merely responded, "And that last item was?"_

_The man's smile widened, "You are mine and mine alone, as student and partner, a part of our organization and yet separate from it. You will not gain our secrets, my dear, nor will we gain yours."_

_The young woman could not stop the next question that tickled her lips, "Then, why? Why do you want me?"_

_Zetsu's smile faltered and a seriousness overtook his features, "Your Byakugan, your mind, and your fighting ability will all prove invaluable, when the time comes. For we have more villages to collect besides the Leaf. And, you're acceptance...I need someone to rely on, who I can trust...who can trust me."_

"_You believe I am that person?" asked Hanabi._

_And, Zetsu responded in his rapidly recognizable manner of answering questions with questions, "Don't you?"_

_The young woman stared down at herself, no longer blood-covered. Her left hand went to her bare forehead, while her right clutched the _shaito _firmly. And,, after a moment, she lifted her eyes and looked at the man before her, for man he was. She slipped the heavy Akatsuki ring over her left ring finger, shouldered her pack, and began to walk past him, out of the village gates._

"_Yes, I do."_

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_Author's Note: _This crack fic should have probably been more than a one-shot, but since it was just a plot bunny that was chewing on my mind and needed to be dislodged I didn't feel justified in making it longer than this. Thus, you get the much abridged version, and I hope it was enjoyable. Despite the fact that I know it was a little too wordy and pompous...I'm working on it.

To clarify, both the opening sequence and the ending were the memories of Hanabi (age 35)I italicized the ending because it didn't have a transition set up like the first memory.

And, for the first time, one of my fics get a dedication. ChristOnA2x4, if you read this A/N, I probably would never have bothered with this psychosis if it weren't for your FC and my incomprehensible love for you.

In other words, you are to blame. . 


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